Saturday, 22 February 2014

the Panduro Saga is coming to an end. After 8 years, we're going home. What?? What's that? you're saying...
Well, Botswana denied our application and that means that we have until the 18th of March left in the country. We're planning to spend some time in Namibia after that so we should be heading home Memorial's time.
Unfortunately we tried, and we failed. And we did try hard, believe me. If you have been reading my preceding posts, you will realize that (and I didn't write everything we did to get that visa...).
When you are against an immigration office, there is nothing you can do to change their mind.. not this office anyway.

We were lucky they gave us 30 days apparently, even though we had just paid for 90 days and they took that away from us.
When you are rejected here, in theory you should get out in 48 hours. So we're grateful we did get the 30 days.
We're sad of course... especially if we think about the 18 studies we had, of which 7 comes regularly to the meetings. And once we are gone, it will be very hard to find someone to look after them since only 3 full time servants will be left here and their schedule is already jammed pack with studies... soo... people, if you're thinking of moving abroad and serve where the need is great, Botswana is good. It's not easy if you want to stay long term of course, but our experience is not that common now. Many brothers and sisters have been given 10 years visa. But we're not going to lie... it's not easy.

You need patience, hope, long-suffering and self-control. If you think you got them, then please, please, please... come to Lobatse. They really need you here.

So, our plans now are to go to Namibia for some time, enjoy the field and the sea, relax, recharge our batteries a little bit and then off to UK. We're looking at different places where it's cheap to live and where there is need. We'll let you know when we settle.

Thanks for reading all these years and for supporting us. We thank you for your prayers as well. If your dream is need greating, don't give up! Jah will bless your plans whatever they will be.

Sunday, 2 February 2014

So the time came where we had to leave Botswana and wait for our visas to come through... I beg your pardon? Ah, no, not the long term visa. We still don't know anything about that. We had to apply for an "Emergency" visa as we didn't want to get out of the country and that should have prevented it but you know... T.I.A.
So they were so back-logged on the emergency visas as well that we had to get out for a week. So we decided to go and check out Namibia. Drove from Lobatse to Gobabis, from Gobabis via Windhoek to Omaruru, from Omaruru to Walvis Bay where the Goldman's, one of the kindest couples I've ever met, invited to stay for the weekend and enjoy the sea side.
They don't know but they gave us a wonderful gift by inviting us to stay. We were longing for the sea and some relax. Botswana with its visas, weather, finding a house, etc. had started to take its toll on us. We were exhausted and we really needed some time off.
So we took their offer and drove to Walvis Bay (which we always wanted to see).
So when they talk about DESERT, what do you imagine? The Sahara? The Gobi? Well, I imagines yellow/orangy sand dunes so smooth to look unreal.... and that's what I saw! But I think I didn't imagine what they were really like.. how big they would be or how "perfectly smooth" they appear.
So what's funny about Namibia is that is mostly flat a part from Windhoek (a lot of mountains around it). So you drive toward the sea and it gets flatter and flatter of course... and dryer and dryer... and smoother and smoother. So just before you get to Swakopmund, the landscape to be honest is pretty ugly. Nothing, zero, nicht, zilch around.... only a weird desert, not even the real one.
Then you get to Swakopmund and as soon as you drive in, you get into another world... you even wonder if you're still in Africa and not in Germany :) So beautiful... breathtaking... seriously! Then we drive toward Walvis Bay and what we saw was unbelievable unless you see it. Desert on your left... ocean on your right... you find yourself between two types of "wilderness" which is really really cool!
Walvis is pretty cool as well. And let's be honest.. you know us... if there is the ocean, anything is beautiful for us!
We're at the Goldman's at the moment who gave us much more than what they had to to be honest and we're deeply grateful for that. Their son took us out on a 3-seater plane and it was one of the coolest things ever... We're supposed to go kayaking tomorrow to Pelican Point and see some seals. In the meantime we have received the temporary visa, the "emergency" one so we can go back to Botswana when we want to... but... let's wait a bit longer shall we? :-) Here is beautiful... why rush out? We're also waiting to hear about our visa here in Namibia as, as you might recall, we have applied here before Botswana but never heard anything. If we get it, we would stay here as the country is desperate for help.. but who knows what Jah has planned for us? We'll let him decide...